Ex-chief justice a liar, racist and extremist, says Guan Eng
Published: 23 July 2014
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has hit out at a former chief justice for claiming that Islam was under threat in the state, calling the latter a "liar, racist and an extremist".
In slamming Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Lim said that the state has allocated more funds to Muslims for their activities compared with the previous Barisan Nasional administration.
"This ex-CJ has exposed himself to be a racist, an extremist and a liar. He said that we are neglecting Islam but he is blind to fact that we have increased allocations for them.
He said although Gerakan and Umno were in the BN coalition together, they had been inconsistent in their accusations against the Penang government, proving that this was politically motivated.
"Why is there a contradiction? Gerakan says we give too much and Umno says otherwise."
"Why is there a contradiction? Gerakan says we give too much and Umno says otherwise."
Hamid had said, in a speech obtained from his website, that the position of Islam as the official religion of the federation was under threat in Penang, adding that many non-Muslims wanted their own religions to be granted the same status.
"A former Penang mufti told me that it was hard to get allocations for Islamic activities in the state, as leaders of the other religions also ask for the same rights," Hamid had said.
Hamid said the mufti also informed him that at the opening ceremony of a building by the deputy chief minister, prayers were recited by a Christian priest, a Hindu priest and imam of the state mosque.
"A former Penang mufti told me that it was hard to get allocations for Islamic activities in the state, as leaders of the other religions also ask for the same rights," Hamid had said.
Hamid said the mufti also informed him that at the opening ceremony of a building by the deputy chief minister, prayers were recited by a Christian priest, a Hindu priest and imam of the state mosque.
Lim said Hamid's accusations were "not based on facts".
He said that the building Hamid had mentioned belonged to a non-governmental organisation.
"But what is so wrong for leaders from three religions to come and offer their prayers? If it were wrong, the imam wouldn't have come.
"I saw the same thing happening when (US President Barack) Obama came here or even in other countries where all religions come to pray together.”
He said Deputy Chief Minister Prof P. Ramasamy was a guest at the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.
"This is obviously a political attack because not only Ramasamy was there but Palanivel was also there.
"Why was only Ramasamy's presence mentioned if Palanivel was also there? Palanivel, as a minister, outranks Ramasamy. But because this is political, he wants to put BN in a good light and PR in a bad one."
Reiterating that Hamid was a "racist, liar and an extremist", Lim said that it was sad that attacks against the Penang government were now coming from a former chief justice.
"These attacks against us, that we are anti-Islam, anti-Malay, are nothing new. It started from the beginning. It is just that now, it is not coming from Umno, but from a former chief justice.”
Hamid also warned that if there was a continued suppression of Islam, like in Penang, such practice would spread to the rest of the country.
"We will see government departments and public university campuses which have surau now having to build churches, temples and gurdwaras.
That means the position of Islam as the religion of the federation has no more mea exning. That allocation may be abolished or all other religions will also be made the official religions here, Hamid had said. – July 23, 2014.
For an ex- judge, ex-chief justice to speak like this just to get popularity among Muslims, the shame of it all.
Maybe to get a great position with great pay.
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